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The following is issued on behalf of the Housing Authority:
The Housing Authority (HA) is committed to identifying a rent level that is considered appropriate and acceptable to the community, a spokesman for the HA said.
"However, how and the extent to which the existing rents of public rental housing (PRH) should be adjusted cannot be determined objectively without putting in place a new mechanism that provides a clear and viable basis for rent adjustments," the spokesman added.
Speaking in response to press enquiries on a rally staged by a pressure group today (June 18) calling for PRH rent reduction, the spokesman said the issues of determining an appropriate rent level and developing a new rent adjustment mechanism should be considered concurrently in a comprehensive and holistic manner.
Preliminary analysis of public opinions received following the conclusion of the public consultation on the review of Domestic Rent Policy in early June shows that the public is supportive of the need to establish an objective, rational and practicable rent adjustment mechanism.
"The majority of the public is also in favour of adopting changes in tenants' household income as the basis for adjusting PRH rents," the spokesman said.
"The HA's Ad Hoc Committee on Review of Domestic Rent Policy will further collate and analyse in greater depth the views received, and make recommendations to the HA regarding the rent adjustment mechanism as well as the rent level upon which the new mechanism should operate," he said.
"In the course of putting the recommendations into practice, particularly if this involves amendments to the existing legislation, we would continue to maintain a close dialogue with all parties concerned through existing consultation channels," the spokesman added.
Ends/Sunday, June 18, 2006
Issued at HKT 16:29
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